Harry awoke late on Sunday and realized he had fallen asleep in his chair. His weary muscles screamed at him as he rose but he felt he needed to move anyway, even though he couldn't quite remember why. He staggered to the bathroom, did his business, and stepped to the door of his study and looked out to the empty classroom. Draco. He suddenly remembered Draco. What day was this?

He shook out his fuzzy head. He was exhausted, more so than yesterday, but this was his second day of falling asleep in all his clothes. And he wanted to see Draco, but every time he got near him the Slytherin seemed so sullen. Was he angry at Harry for something? "Probably for falling asleep." He yawned. He never did make it to the hospital wing for pepper-upper. But he'd rather find Draco first.

Then his heart seized. What about Treeloft? He looked around. He supposed if there had been any problems someone would have alerted him. There were no owls waiting for him. No parchment notes.

That was very irresponsible of him. He felt pretty badly about that but on thinking of it, Treeloft was probably just as happy not to see Harry when he arrived back and not get asked all those questions.

His thoughts drifted back to Draco. He decided in the off chance that he might be in his room he'd floo there. He staggered back through the classroom, up the pulpit stairs, and across his study. He stepped into the fireplace and yelled, "Draco Malfoy, Potions!" and threw down the floo powder.

He came from the fireplace and looked around at the empty room. No Draco. Something on the floor caught his eye and he picked it up. It was the Chocolate Frog card of him. He always received a flush of embarrassment when he saw these things, not quite believing people would care about him as someone famous. He certainly never felt famous. But here was the card Draco owned, signed by Harry. Surely Draco never gave it to Harry to sign. Did he approach him disguised? No, that was an even sillier notion. Most likely he got it from someone else. He thought it was sweet that Draco should carry it around in his wallet.

He tossed it to the bed and sighed, looking at the rumpled sheets. When was the last time he slept with Draco? He couldn't remember. They'd only been apart one night since they'd been together, and that was the first night before the term started. They both felt it would be inappropriate on their first night as teachers at Hogwarts, and Harry had even vowed to remain away from the Slytherin for a week, but that vow was broken the moment Harry set eyes on Draco in the morning. He found it difficult to keep his hands off the man. But where was he? There was something he wanted to tell him, besides the usual "I love you". He said it a lot. Every night they were together, at least, and a few times in between. He blushed a little. He guessed he was a bit sentimental. He liked loving Draco. He liked finding Draco's clothes in his room. He liked telling him he loved him. He supposed it made up for all those years when he silently pined for him, and then he reddened at that thought, too. Why had he told Draco about the invisibility cloak and the Ploy Juice potion? Maybe he wanted Draco to know how devoted he was to him. "Or maybe I'm just insane." But Draco seemed pleased by it. He certainly teased Harry enough about it. That was a sure sign he enjoyed it.

But wait. He got off track again. He wanted to tell him something…Myrtle! That was it! Moaning Myrtle telling him about Antonia Adams talking into that jewel. She also said there were adults in her toilet. Where were they coming from? Did she mean when the parents were here?

He decided to see Myrtle again and then maybe go to Dumbledore's office…if he could make himself move that far.

He shook out his head again to wake himself up and he hurried to Myrtle's abandoned lavatory. He poked his head in cautiously-just in case-and stepped in. "Myrtle! Are you here?"

A ghostly figure came flying out of one of the cubicles, soared around the room, and came to rest in front of Harry. "Harry! You've come!"

"Hi, Myrtle. I was thinking about some of the things you said the other day. You know. About Antonia Adams."

"Oh." She frowned and drifted to the side.

"Yes. You said there were adults in here, too, to scare. Who were they?"

"I don't know. One minute it was that rude Slytherin girl and the next it was that very handsome man."

Harry froze. "What…handsome man?"

"He was very good-looking. He was blond and had very blue eyes. And he was tall. I almost didn't try to scare him away but he wasn't afraid of me either."

"You said one minute Adams was there and the next she wasn't. Where did she go?"

"I don't know. I wasn't looking. I was only interested in the handsome man." She giggled.

"What was he doing in the girl's lavatory?"

"Talking into a jewel."

"Him too?"

"It looked like the same one. He told it that everything was going fine and he'd be leaving soon."

Harry's heart hammered. "Myrtle. Are you sure that's what he said?"

"Positive. I've got nothing else to do, have I?"

"Thanks, Myrtle. You've been a big help. You're really quite the most helpful ghost we have at Hogwarts."

She preened at that. "Why, thank you, Harry. I think you are really much better looking than that man."

"Thanks."

He hurried to Dumbledore's office, though with each step he took forward it felt miles farther.

"Canary Creams!" he told the statue and it jumped aside and revealed the stair. It took all of Harry's energy to simply step up onto the stairs and he leaned against the wall as it took him up to the office door.

Harry stumbled in, forgetting to await permission and found Draco sitting in front of Dumbledore. They both looked up at him.

"I think Antonia Adams is using Poly Juice potion," he said hurriedly, afraid he'd forget again.

Draco frowned. "Behind the times again, Potter. We already established that wasn't the case."

"What? But it has to be. I believe she's also Cymbeline Sorenson."

Dumbledore shot to his feet. "What did you say?"

But Harry suddenly felt so weary he found it difficult to keep his eyes open. "Cymbeline Sorenson. Moaning Myrtle said she saw Adams in the girl's toilet talking into a jewel and then she saw Sorenson doing the same. They're communicating with someone outside of Hogwarts. Or they are the same person. Or…You know. You should talk to Flitwick."

Dumbledore moved around to the other side of his desk. "Harry. Are you all right?"

Harry breathed. He closed his eyes. It was easier, even standing up. But then he knew he wanted to tell Draco something. Oh yes. He wanted to tell him he loved him. But he couldn't open his eyes. And then he couldn't open his mouth. The floor seemed better and he suddenly fell.

* * *

Draco caught him and held him. "Albus! What's wrong with him?"

Dumbledore came around and looked at Harry. He was terribly pale and his breath was very shallow. "Carry him," he said.

Draco didn't need to be told twice. He swept Harry up in his arms and ran with him out the door and all the way to the hospital wing. He laid him on a bed while Dumbledore fetched Madam Pomfrey. Draco stared at Harry, dumbfounded. He lay unconscious and barely breathing. What could have happened? Draco's limbs felt cold. All thoughts of jealousy flew out the window. This was the man he loved and he wanted-demanded-to know now what was wrong with him!

He looked up when Pomfrey ran over. "Dear me," she said. "Out of the way, Malfoy. Let me take a look. The both of you, there's nothing you can do until I figure this out. It would be better for all if you leave."

"I'm not leaving-!" said Draco, moving back to the side of the bed.

But Dumbledore quietly pulled him back. "It is best to let Poppy do her work, don't you think, Draco?"

Draco looked back. Pomfrey was bent over Harry, her wand tracing over his body looking for the difficulty. He wanted to sit beside him and hold his hand, stroke the hair away from his forehead. But he realized Dumbledore was right. He allowed him to lead him back to his office, and they were startled by the presence of a gray-haired wizard standing there.

"Excuse me?" Dumbledore inquired.

"Oh. Sorry," said the man. His body started to squeeze and shrink and reform into a young girl with bubblegum pink hair.

Dumbledore smiled. "Miss Tonks."

"I didn't want to startle the kids so I thought I'd come incognito."

"To what do we owe-?"

"It's official business, I'm afraid, Professor." She turned her eye to Draco. "I'm to interview him for the record. The suit."

"Oh. I see." Dumbledore turned to Draco and put his hand on his shoulder. "I want you to give her your full cooperation, Draco. There's no reason to compound your problems." He gave him a meaningful look, which Draco took to mean that he shouldn't quite tell her everything that had happened lately. He nodded obediently. "I shall leave you alone. I need to talk to Professor Flitwick in any case."

"But what about Harry?" asked Draco. He didn't want to fool with this whole molestation thing. He wanted to be with Harry.

"Madam Pomfrey will inform us, Draco. Don't worry." He waved him back toward the Auror. Draco watched him shuffle out the door and then he turned to Tonks.

She frowned at him. "I thought I was done with you," she said.

"How's life with you and the werewolf?" he said snidely.

She put on a bland expression. "Just fine, thanks. Have a seat, Malfoy."

He dropped into the chair and glared at her. She got out an enchanted quill much like Draco had seen Rita Skeeter use, and allowed it to record their conversation.

"So Malfoy. Interested in little girls now, are we?"

He shot to his feet. "Why you little-!"

She snorted a laugh. "Just curious about your reaction. Sit down." He slowly sat and noticed the jewel pinned to her T-shirt.

"So what's with the jewel?"

"We use it to communicate with the Ministry."

"So…would anyone at the Ministry have one?"

"Not anyone. Just Aurors and some other important people. Can we get back to it?"

"Yeah." Draco began to think. There were plenty at the Ministry who hated him, but Dumbledore had said that Cyrus Loengrin was "out to get him". He was the one who showed up to the parent's meeting and gave him that parchment.

"Hello," said Tonks, waving her hand in front of his face. "You in there?"

He looked at her again. Her hair had changed color to a cerulean blue. Suddenly something clicked in his mind. "You're a Metamorphmagus."

"Right in one."

"Are your kind registered, like Animagi?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Do you know if Gordon Harper is a registered Metamorphmagus?"

"What have you got to do with that Death Eater, Malfoy?" She was slowly drawing her wand.

"Because I think all our trouble can be traced to him. I think he's at Hogwarts right this minute." She stared askance at him. "Look, Miss Tonks. I wish I could make you change your mind about me. But all you have to know is that I am Harry Potter's good friend now. I am his, he is mine. I wouldn't do a thing he wouldn't be proud of. Please trust me. You may believe I'm rotten, but do you really think I'm a child molester? Do you think Dumbledore would defend me at all if he thought so?"

Tonks let go of her wand and stared at the magic quill, scratching away at everything they said. She raised her face. "I just don't know about you, Malfoy. You're a real unknown quantity and I don't like unknowns."

"I'm not too fond of them myself."

She fixed her gaze on him and slowly reached for the jewel. "Hey, Hennessey."

The jewel crackled to life and Draco heard the jewel say, "Hennessey here."

"Do me a favor and check the Metamorphmagus list to see if Gordon Harper is on it."

"You've got to be kidding! I bloody well hope he's not."

"Me too. Check it, will you."

"Half a mo'."

Time ticked very slowly. Draco felt a trickle of sweat meander down his spine. If he was wrong about this, it may well be over for him.

Finally, Hennessey came back and Draco heard it the same time as Tonks.

"I'll be damned, Tonks. He's on the list!"

Tonks got to her feet. "Where's Adams now?"

"She might be in Slytherin."

"Take me there."

Draco was on his feet and running. They hurried past shocked students, up stairwells, and then down again into the dungeons. Draco skidded to a stop outside the Slytherin door. "Periculosus Draconus!" and the doors slid open.

Tonks looked sidelong at him. "And who is the 'dangerous dragon'?"

He didn't look back at her. "I am." He stormed down the stairs and stood in the center of the common room. But instead of shying, the Slytherins gathered around him. It swelled Draco's heart with pride. "Where is Adams?"

"I'll get her," said a fifth year with a smirk. This time, they all seemed to sense a showdown. They were right. Tonks took out her wand the same time Draco did. Now the students moved back out of the way.

They waited. Then they heard an argument, two girls fighting, and finally the fifth year was dragging Adams up the stairs. But as soon as Adams spotted Draco and Tonks, she tried to retreat.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Draco was faster. His curse hit Adams first and she went down hard, hitting her chin on the stone step.

"Tonks. Can you reverse her morphing spell?"

She walked up to Adams and stood over her. "Yup." She waved her wand and incanted. Adams quivered and stretched and engorged into a man, much bigger than Draco. The room gasped.

"Is it-?"

Tonks nodded. "It's Harper, all right." She looked at Draco. "Well done, Malfoy."

His smile was all Slytherin.

Tonks put a binding charm on Harper and then released him from being petrified. She used her foot to turn him over. There was blood on his chin where he fell. "Want to explain yourself, Harper? What are you doing with a communication amulet?"

He looked at Draco and laughed. "You poor bastard. We almost had you. You and your ponce boyfriend. Cyrus Loengrin hated you so much that he actually hired me to get rid of you. He gave the amulet to me. I hope he fries as well."

"He will," said Tonks tightly.

"Of course, it's a little too late for Harry Potter."

Draco went cold. "What do you mean?"

"Getting sleepy, is he? That's something Loengrin never counted on. He only wanted to get you, you blood traitor. Personally, I don't give a shit. But I wanted to get Harry Potter. And there's nothing you can do now."

Draco grabbed him by his robes and violently shook him. "What are you saying!"

Harper laughed. "See this ring? I poisoned him. He's dying. Might even be dead now."

Draco heard Harper's laughter a long way, even as he sprinted for dear life down the corridors toward the hospital wing.


On to Chapter Ten
"Love and Death"

Back to Chapter Eight
"Malfoy Maladjusted"

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